The Powers

All sorts of powers can be found and discovered in Empires. Many of them can be taught, but some can only be earned by completing certain conquests and challenges-- for instance certain magic spells that certain classes can utilize. All in all, the vast array of powers adds a new dimension to gameplay.

Magic
There is lots of magic in the world of Empires. The difference in the amount of magic in the area depends on the geographic location of the empire created or established. The most influential locations where magic is abundant is in dense forests or deep within caverns and high up in the mountains. All five empires have significant levels of magic, but the Dragon and Fairy empires especially have the most significant levels of magic penetrating their territories.

Magic has some very useful properties, but it also has some adverse effects if used improperly. There are two different types of magic-- each with specific schools of magic.

Arcane
Arcane is the pinnacle of alchemy and is the soul driving force of all of the magical spells employed by the greatest of spell-casters. They can be very powerful, and even the simplest of spells have a devastating effect. Arcane has the greatest number of schools of Arcane lore. Each school focuses on a specific part of the Arcane circle; this circle contains 8 schools of expertise.

Abjuration
Abjurations are protective spells, creating magical barriers, negating magical or physical abilities, or harming trespassers.

Conjuration
Conjuration revolves around summoning creatures to obey your given commands, to heal party members, to travel long distances, or just simply creating something from raw materials around you.

Calling : Calls a creature (Magical or non-Magical) to obey your commands. The creature that you've called does not go away once the spell's duration is done, and if the creature is killed, it does not reform somewhere; it remains dead.

Creation : Creates something out of material items to make an object or a creature in a specified location. The creation is held together by magic, but depending on the caster's duration, the creation can either last until the duration is over, or can last indefinitely until it is destroyed.

Healing :

Summoning : Summons a Magical (or non-Magical) creature to fight alongside you. Unlike a called creature, the summoned creature leaves when the spell's duration is up, and if it is killed it reforms to its original location where it last was before it was summoned; it is not essentially dead.

Teleportation : Allows to travel great distances almost instantaneously. The most powerful of these teleportation spells can cross through planes. As such, if teleportation is blocked, the spell does not succeed. Teleportation is usually a one-way duration, unless sustained with a sufficient amount of energy.

Divination
Divination allows you learn long-forgotten lore, predict the future, find things, and foil deceptive spells.

Scrying : Lets you see environments or lets you spy upon a specific point by summoning a separate focal point that sends information to you. It is not affected by blinding, deafening, or muting effects. Magical barriers or lead plating blocks vision, and you can tell if the focal point cannot see beyond.

Enchantment
Enchantment controls the minds of others, influencing their behavior or actions.

Charm : Changes how a subject deceives you, usually as an ally.

Compulsion : A compulsion spells forces a subject to act in some manner or changes how his or her mind works, such as determining or affecting the subject's actions, or just controlling the subject's actions overall.

Evocation
Evocation taps into the manipulation of energy or some unseen force; essentially, it creates something out of nothing. These spells usually create something spectacular, and can deal lots of damage.

Illusion
Illusion revolves around the ability to play tricks with the minds of others; creating false images and/ or memories, or creating sounds that aren't really there.

Figment : Creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment see the exact same thing. A figment cannot support weight or affect subjects in any other way. Likewise, they are only useful for deterring enemies, not for attacking them directly.

Glamer : Changes a subject's sensory qualities, making it seem something else, or just simply disappear.

Pattern : Mind-affecting spells, they create an image that the subjects can see, but that can also affect their mind if they see it, or are caught within it.

Phantasm : Creates a mental image that only the caster and the subject can see. It is essentially a personalized mental impression. Phantasms are mind-affecting spells.

Shadow : Creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. A shadow can inflict physical damage to subjects, in which case the damage that is done is in fact real.

Necromancy
Necromancy revolves around the ability to call upon the Undead and the Immortal. This includes summoning demons and devils and beings such as wraiths and skeletons.

Transmutation
Transmutation revolves around the ability to shape-shift almost anything into something else (For example, transmutating rock into mud). This is especially useful if you need to make a shortcut out of a sticky situation or if you need the job done quickly to get rid of a fairly large group of enemies. However, transmutation cannot be used onto ones self; it must be used on a target other than the caster himself.

Divine
Divine is the pinnacle of the dieties and many spell-casters can utilize the divine energies by channeling the powers of their dieties within them. Divine magic has many effects, such as healing fallen party members, supporting a party member's strength or wisdom, commanding the forces of nature, summoning magical creatures to fight alongside you, turning or summoning undead, and much more. In essence, Divine magic is a specialty amongst characters who utilize the power of their dieties. divine magic does not usually have schools of specialty, but Divine magic utilizes the power of domains-- figments of emotions or of nature that utilizes associated powers.

Abilities/ Skills
The actions of individuals are not just associated with magic alone. Each character has a set of abilities and skills unique to him or her self. Even entire races have abilities and skills that make themselves different from others-- even if they are closely related with each other.

Abilities
Abilities are special actions that your character can execute many times. They are individually crafted to a character's specific need, and abilities are taught very selomnly to others. They are, in a sense, feats that require a fairly large amount of physical strength and mental aquisition. Characters must master newly attained abilities if they are to learn more and survive in a constantly changing world.

Skills
Skills are certain actions that your can execute as many times as possible. A skill usually requires more mental aquisition, but some skills rely upon physical strength. Unlike abilities, skills can be taught to other people, and are not usually tailored to a character's tastes. Not all skills need training and can be used at anytime, but soe skills that require knowledge and other strenuous activities must have training to be able to use that skill efficiently.

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